“(Cristiano Ronaldo) Was Devastated” – Jose Mourinho Recalls Rare Tearful Night With Real Madrid

Real Madrid won their ninth UEFA Champions League title in 2002, courtesy of a Zinedine Zidane masterclass. However, a decade of UCL title drought then followed the mighty Spanish side. It took 12 years for Madrid to reach another UCL final and seize their 10th title in 2014, which they prestigiously call La Decima. After missing the title in 2015, Los Blancos then completed a UCL three-peat, winning the league from 2016 to 2018. They came so close to lifting their 10th one before 2014, during Jose Mourinho‘s reign in 2012.

Before 2014, the 2012 UCL was the closest Cristiano Ronaldo came to a final with Real Madrid since he joined in 2009. However, they fell short of Bayern Munich in the semi-final. It was so heartbreaking that Mourinho revealed he had to rush to CR7’s home to console him.

The day Ronaldo’s agent asked Jose Mourinho for an unusual favor

Back in the day, Bayern Munich won 2-1 against Real Madrid in the first leg. Madrid shattered Bayern’s lead in the second leg, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo brace. Nonetheless, Arjen Robben equalized later and forced the game to penalties, which Bayern won 3-1 and earned a spot in the final. “It was the first and only time I cried after a game,” said Jose Mourinho in a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo (translated by DeepL).

“I received a call from Jorge Mendes asking me to do him a favor. He wanted me to go to Cristiano Ronaldo’s house because he was devastated. ‘I’m devastated too,’ I told him, but I did it. I got ready, wiped my tears, and went,” Mourinho added. Despite scoring two goals during the game, CR7 had missed the penalty against Bayern. Los Blancos failed to secure the La Decima on the 10 anniversary of their 2002 UCL triumph.

Mourinho, who won the UCL with Porto and Inter Milan, failed to do it with the mighty Madrid. Anyhow, Bayern Munich ultimately lost against Chelsea in the finale. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. would later have perfect revenge against Munich in the semi-final, a few years later.

When Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. humiliated Bayern in 2014

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were pitted against each other in the 2014 UCL semis. Bayern was fresh off the league victory in 2013. Madrid registered a narrow first-leg win after Karim Benzema‘s only goal. But the second leg was a nightmare for Munich. Sergio Ramos, a center-back, shook the German side with a brace.

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Thereafter, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace, completing it with a 90th-minute free-kick. The win against Bayern was even sweeter because Madrid’s arch-rival, Pep Guardiola, was coaching the German side. After that historic semi, Real Madrid played Atletico Madrid in the final.

Los Blancos trailed till the 92nd minute when Ramos grabbed an equalizer. They terrorized their derby rivals in the extra time with three back-to-back goals, thereby winning the coveted La Decima.

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